Ranchi, April 02: A meeting between industrialist Gautam Adani and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren at the CM’s residence has triggered political speculation, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioning its agenda and accusing the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of hypocrisy.
Sources said the nearly two-hour closed-door meeting on Saturday focused on the Godda ultra-supercritical thermal power plant and the Gondalpura coal block in Hazaribagh, which was auctioned to Adani Enterprises in 2020.
The meeting comes amid Soren’s ongoing conflict with the Centre over pending mining dues amounting to ₹1.36 lakh crore. This has led to speculation that the Jharkhand government is seeking alternatives to Central-controlled Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to reduce financial dependence.
Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, questioned the purpose of the meeting and its location. “Why did the CM not meet him in the office instead of his home, and what were the private discussions that they had? Is this not hypocrisy?” Marandi said.
The Godda project currently generates 1,600MW of power daily, which is supplied to Bangladesh, while the Gondalpura coal mining project has faced resistance from villagers over land acquisition.
Marandi also highlighted concerns raised by ruling MLAs—Congress’s Pradeep Yadav and JMM’s Stephen Marandi—over land acquisition in Godda. They alleged violations of the Resettlement Act, 2013, and the Santhal Parganas Tenancy (SPT) Act. In response, the Soren government formed a panel under Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari to review the legality of land transfers to the Adani Group.
JMM spokesperson Tanuj Khatri dismissed the BJP’s allegations, calling the meeting a routine interaction. “The Soren government is aware of the people’s interests. Industrial development, including new plants, will ultimately benefit the state and its people,” he said.
Congress’s Jharkhand in-charge K Raju defended the meeting, stating that businessmen routinely visit multiple states. However, Raju’s own meeting with Soren days after the Adani meeting, reportedly to discuss developmental and political matters, has further fueled intrigue over the issue.
